I tried making burgers on my gas grill last week and I just could not seem to get the juicy results that I wanted so it made me wonder how to get a really juicy burger on the grill.
Do I need to season the burger to make the meat stick and hold the juices inside?
A lot of questions popped up in my mind because I just couldn’t make the burgers the way I wanted them to be.
I even started thinking that I might be using the wrong type of meat.
So if I was using the wrong type or cut of beef, what and which was the right one?
There is a lot that goes here, I know, and we will also be looking at that in this post.
Once I mastered all the basic skills and the right ingredients for the juicy burgers that I wanted, grilling them was a piece of cake as the burgers came out juicy every time I made them.
There are only very simple tricks and you would be surprised at how you can change just a little bit of your tactic and make a huge difference with the burgers so read on until the end of the post to know them.
The Best Beef For A Burger
There is many cuts of beef that you can make into a juicy burger such as ground sirloin, brisket, and short ribs. These are all great but the best one, in my opinion, is the chuck steak.
Brisket brings that grassy or earthy flavor to the burgers because of its lean composition. That means that it does not have a lot of fats so you will need to add some fats from other parts of the beef.
Ground sirloin and short ribs both bring that amazing flavor that you are used to in burgers. That is where you will taste the slightly beefy flavor and the fats combined with the seasoning.
Chuck steak or simply chuck, is the best part of the beef to make into a burger. It is often supplemented with other cuts but the chuck alone can make the best and juiciest burgers.
The chuck has the perfect marbling that you need for a proper ratio of fats and lean meat.
One thing you should keep in mind is to always put some fats in it. The fats function as the binding material and the one that gives some juiciness to it as well so keep them there.
A 15-percent fat ratio will be enough to create a juicy burger. If after you cook a burger with a 15-percent fat ratio and it is still dry, you can go higher with 20 percent but no more than that.
Add This Seasoning To Keep Burger Intact During Grilling
One of the most common problems when making burger patties is the binding or shaping process. If not done right, the burger patties can literally fall apart even before grilling.
I like using the McCornick Hamburger seasoning because it really helps in putting additional flavors to the burger patties. It also sticks to the fats so it is helpful in making the burgers shape properly.
To be frank with you, you do not need anything to bind the meat. The combination of lean meat and enough fats will hold the burger together without adding any other ingredient.
The perfect burger should taste like meat and nothing else. Fresh meat and fats when they are ground will give enough stickiness for the burger to hold its shape when cooked.
One way to keep the shape of the burgers before cooking is to chill them. Refrigerate them to keep the meat intact and bring them out right before you grill them.
Making your own homemade blend of seasonings and spices like paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and some binding materials like eggs or mayo might do the trick as well.
How To Grill Burger On A Gas Grill
While it is very simple to grill burgers on a gas grill, there might be some steps that you are missing or doing slightly differently which can make a huge difference in the result of the burgers.
This is a very simple guide that you can follow when you are cooking burgers on your gas grill so that you will not end up with a dried-up burger patty before arranging the whole burger.
1. Start By Selecting The Right Meat
Remember the best cut of beef that we have just talked about? Make sure to get that and try o incorporate the fat ratio that we have also mentioned above to make the juiciest burgers.
You can use other cuts of beef but make sure that you have enough fats in the mixture so that you will not dry up the burger patties when you grill them over high heat.
2. Create And Chill The Patties
Ask for ground chuck from your butcher shop so that you do not have to do too much work. You will be able to work on your homemade seasoning and other processes if you do this.
Shape the ground beef chuck into 3/4-inch thick patties. After shaping them and seasoning them a bit, let them chill in the fridge so they can maintain their shape better.
Note: Seasoning a burger should not be too complex. You can use your favorite rub or just generously season the patties with coarse salt and black pepper.
3. Prepare Your Gas Grill
Preheat the gas grill to medium-high heat and allow it to heat up for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed. This amount of time will allow the heat to be evenly distributed inside the grill.
You have the option to add some wood chips to add some smoky flavors to the burgers but this is not necessary. You can check out my post about how you can smoke meat on your gas grill.
4. Grill The Burgers
Place the burger patties on the grill grates and let them sear for at least 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure to leave 1/3 of the grill grate open or without any patties on it.
The space without the patties will be your safe space where you can move the patties on in case of flare-ups.
Flip the burger patties with a thin spatula and then let them grill for another 4 to 5 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit when you insert your meat probe in the middle of the burger patties.
5. Let Them Rest
Once the burger patties reach the recommended internal temperature, remove them from the grill and let them rest on a plate for at least 5 minutes.
This will let the juices back into the burgers to make them more tender plus, the burgers will still continue cooking while resting so never forget this part of the process.
Different Temperatures For Grilling Burgers On Gas Grill
The different temperatures we are talking about here are the internal temperatures of the burgers and the doneness that they have when they reach a certain temperature.
For the grill itself, burgers are usually grilled at a medium-high temperature which is 375 degrees Fahrenheit and up to high heat which is usually 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you really love cooking burgers or meat, in general, we suggest that you invest in an instant-read thermometer or meat probe to use in steaks, burgers, smoked meats, and more.
The safe temperature for burgers to be cooked in is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. While this means that the meat is well-done, it is the safest temp, especially for frozen burgers.
If you made your hamburger patties yourself and you cook them right away, then the burgers can go for lower temps such as 145 degrees Fahrenheit for medium doneness.
Just keep in mind that the burgers should cook all the way through when grilled. Measure the temperature by putting the meat probe in the middle of the burger.
The middle part of the burger patties should be the part where it is coldest. So measure that part to know if the burgers are really cooked all the way through.
How Long To Grill Burgers On Each Side
The chart below shows how long you should grill the burger patties to reach certain doneness. The chart is for 1-inch burgers but I will be explaining a bit how you can do the same with thinner burger patties.
| Doneness | Approximate Time Of | Cooking | Feel Of Doneness |
| First Side | Second Side | ||
| Rare | 4 minutes | 3 minutes | Red inside and very soft |
| Medium Rare | 5 minutes | 4 minutes | Slightly chewy interior and is pink in color. |
| Medium | 5 minutes | 5 minutes | Moist interior and very springy middle part |
| Medium Well | 7 minutes | 5 minutes | Sightly crumby texture with a very dry interior. |
| Well Done | 7 minutes | 7 minutes | The interior texture is also crumbly and the center is extremely hard. |
The key to measuring the time when cooking burgers on each side is their internal temperature. The longevity will depend on the doneness that you prefer the burgers to be.
As you can see from the chart above, it does take a bit of time to grill 1-inch burgers. Thinner and lighter burgers that are sometimes only 3/4-inch thick cook faster.
For rare doneness, the burgers usually cook under high heat for 5 minutes or 2-3 mins on each side. This is pretty fast and it is not recommended especially if your burger patties were frozen beforehand.
Frozen burger patties need to be defrosted or thawed to reach the right cooked levels. It will take longer but you need to do it even with other bbq meats or hotdogs in case you are having a bbq in your backyard.
Medium-rare meat can go for 7 minutes in total or 3 to 4 mins on each side and medium doneness is usually reached if you cook the burgers for up to 10 minutes in the grill.
One thing that you should keep in mind when it comes to time is when to flip the burgers. This is an important tip because most people ruin their burgers by flipping them far too often.
Wait for at least 3 minutes before flipping the burgers. By the three-minute mark, the bottom of the burgers should have been cooked well enough for them not to crumble.
So make sure that you let them cook first before actually flipping them. You should only flip a burger once to keep its shape and to cook it evenly on the grill.
Do You Grill Burgers With Lid Open Or Closed?
Closing the lid while the burgers are cooking will give a more consistent and even heat. This way, you can keep track of the time to know the doneness of the burgers inside the grill.
Grilling burgers will produce a lot of juices that will drip onto the firebox. Whether you are using a propane grill like Weber, a charcoal grill, or a wood-fired grill, you should prevent flare-ups from happening.
Well, sometimes flare-ups can happen no matter what but you need to keep them in check. Flare-ups cause burnt edges and outer parts, especially for burgers.
Keeping the lid down will prevent the grill chamber from garnering too much oxygen, therefore, there would not be too much flare-up so the burgers are cooked evenly.
How To Grill Burgers Without Burning Them (Every Time)
One of the main problems, when grilling burgers is the outside part, gets burnt before the interior is cooked. You can easily prevent this by using lower temperatures on your grill.
Lowering the heat will, of course, make the cooking process longer but it will be effective. This allows you to let the heat enter the middle and coldest part of the patty.
Once the middle part reaches the desired internal temperature, you can then turn up the heat to sear the outer parts of the patties and create a beautiful crust.
Do not take your eyes off of the patties as they can burn easily if the temperature is too high.
You can also use the water method where you spray a little bit of water on the burgers but this is not the best method. The water can make the patties bland and crumbly when cooked so I do not recommend it.
Always use oil on the grill grates. It does not have to be too much, just a thin layer will suffice just so the burger patties do not stick to the grill grates and burn.
How To Grill A Frozen Burger On A Gas Grill
If you have frozen burgers that you were not able to cook when you first made them, you can still grill them on your gas grill.
Make sure to thaw them overnight in the fridge or use the water method to defrost the burgers.
Season the burger patties again with salt and pepper, preheat your gas grill, and then grill the burgers.
It will take as long as how you would grill fresh burgers so make sure to keep an eye on the frozen burgers on your gas grill.
Allow them to rest and then arrange them with your favorite vegetables, bread, and garnishes before serving while the patties are still hot and fresh out of the gas grill!
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This has really been an interesting article to read! I didn’t know there was so much into grilling a great and juicy burger on a gas grill in comparison to on any other grill. I am someone who has always done things the lazy way when it comes to food but this is certainly something that I can see brings a lot of value to a single burger haha. My grill is gas so that’s why I am so mesmerized. Im glad i ran into this site!